Combating Money Laundering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Combating Money Laundering - Research Paper Example Technological advances are some of the avenues that have made money laundering easier as criminals exploit these technologies to conceal the illegal sources of their valuables such as money and jewels. Fortunately, governments have recognized the menace, which is money laundering and have designed, implemented, and evaluated the effectiveness of these interventions in curbing financial crimes such as money laundering. The United States, for example mandates the Department of Treasury and agencies such as the FinCEN to implement anti-money laundering policies. However, more needs to be done for money laundering to e effectively detected, prevented, and stopped all together. Introduction Recent times have recorded an increase in the rate and scope of international crimes, more so with respect to the financial aspects of crimes. This scenario has been prompted by the globalization and the rapidly advancing technologies. Money related crimes have since become major multifaceted problems for law enforcement and the public. Besides being local and national crime problem, money laundering has become an international problem, prompting major financial and political superpowers such as the United States of America and other Western states to design and implement various strategies and policies to curb the issue (Harvey, 2008). Consequent to this increasing threat of money laundering and other financial crimes, many a state has since embarked on concerted efforts to combat this kind of crime. Included in these strategies is the designing and the enactment of counter-money laundering laws, shared by many agencies, institutions, and countries. Second, some countries such as the United States of America have established stringent bilateral and multilateral agreements to strengthen their monitory policies and practices and to further collaboration among states of similar interests. These collaborative efforts specifically target the creation of awareness of the serious threa t that is money laundering among states. In addition, efforts have not been spared in spreading the message on the importance of acknowledging that money laundering is in deed a problem that affects society directly (Levi & Gilmore, 2002). Furthermore, countries such as the United States of America prevent organizations considered criminals from accessing its financial systems. This paper explains what money laundering is, how it is used, and the steps the United States has taken to curb the crime. Money Laundering Illegal money is often the outcome of most criminal acts, which are mostly driven by greed for profit. Consequent to profits of criminal acts and omissions, illicit money often find their way into the legal financial systems of a country. Generally, money laundering entails concealing given financial assets so that their illegal activities are not detected. In fact, money laundering is one of the factors supporting organized crimes as criminals mix the monetary proceeds f rom their criminal acts with other seemingly legal sources (Kochan, 2005). There are several negative effects of money laundering. These include its effects on fueling terrorists, arms dealers, drug dealers, and other criminals, thus expanding their operations. Additionally, money laundering criminals have managed to manipulate financial systems in the United States and other countries, further

Comparing the ways Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker convey horror through writing Essay Example for Free

Comparing the ways Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker convey horror through writing Essay Through this essay you will see how although the writing style of Edgar Allen Poe in The Black Cat and the style of Bram stoker in The Judges House is completely different, they both manage to achieve the same effect leaving the reader anxious, excited, mystified and scared. Both these authors stories were written before the nineteen hundreds, a time when people were just understanding the ways the world works. In this time horror stories were very popular. The perspective of both Poems is different. In The black cat Poe writes in a first person perspective: Today I die and tomorrow I would unburden my soul. Where as Stoker writes in a third person perspective: Malcolm Malcolmson made up his mind. The use of third person in this story displays the feelings of more than one character and you can build up more fear than first person by using devices such as rhetorical questions by other characters for example when Mrs Cranford cries not the Judges house! it creates the feeling of horror and helplessness. First person perspective makes you feel sorrow for the character. If Edgar Allen Poe had written the black cat in Third person perspective You wouldnt get the emphasis of his emotions, how he feels regret of what he has done, fear of this new animal and superstitious about the strange imprint on the wall. For example, when he writes gradually, very gradually I came to look up on it with unutterable loathing. This really emphasises the hated of the animal, an emotion that would not have been able to have been shown to that extent in third person. It is also more believable as it is through the eyes of the beholder. At the start of the black cat Poe starts off very secretively, he writes of something horrible that has happened to him, but he will not expand on what this occurrence is: These events have terrified, tortured and destroyed me. This suspense adds to the mystery of the first scene. Poe writes, tomorrow I die showing something horrible has happened to him. The fact that this is not in chronological order keep you wondering throughout the story what is going to happen and keeps you in suspense. It also keeps you trying to link the current storyline to death, for example, when it says about the new cat: It was a black cat a very large cat-fully as large as Pluto and closely resembling him you are thinking how this new cat could be linked to his death. Stoker, however has a very different approach to build up mystery. He uses setting whereas Poe does not. When he describes the lodgings he describes it as a gothic residence: with heavy gables and small windows set higher than was customary in such houses. Gothic residences have always been associated with death and fear in horror movies. He describes the village as empty: desolation was the only term for conveying a suitable idea of its isolation the idea of a desolate empty place is the perfect setting for a horror story. The fact that the house has been empty for so long indicates something dreadful has happened there. The locals all seem to know something dreadful about the house. It seems that Malcolm is the only person who doesnt know whats going on there. When Mrs Cranford cries at him not the judges house! it creates a feeling of dread for what is going to happen to Mr Malcolmson. Poe uses superstition to add to the mystery. The first little bit of superstition is when he reveals that his wife believes that all black cats are witches in disguise. This brief, initial introduction of superstition creates mystery in your head, and it makes you think, what if black cats are really witches in disguise. When the cat imprint appears on the wall, the character tries to dismiss the supernatural happening with a far fetched logical explanation. He tries to say that someone tossed the hanging corpse of the cat in through the window to try and wake him up. He then tried to say that because the wall was freshly spread plaster, it did not fall down. He said that the ammonia from the carcass had made the impression on the wall. Edgar Allen Poe had purposely made this string of events unbelievable so that the reader would know that there was something strange going on. I think that the imprint was a symbol that the cat was not dead and that it was an omen that it was going to come back to haunt him. The new cat was very suspicious, the fact that it looked a lot like Pluto made you think that it was a demonic symbol of Pluto. The cat gets more and more attached to him but he is reluctant to interact with it because he feels the supernatural element of this situation. He begins to hate the cat and the fact that it is always around him: Its evident fondness for myself rather disgusted and annoyed me but he wont harm the cat for fear of what will happen and regret of his previous crime: at times although I longed to destroy it with a blow I was withheld from doing so partly by memory of my former crime but chiefly let me confess it at once by absolute dread of the beast. The fact that it wont leave him alone, and that drives him madder and more angry makes it seem like the new cat is testing his willpower to leave it alone. His fear grows as the cat follows his every step. The only difference between Pluto and the new cat was a white splodge on its belly. It turns out later that this splodge is actually a image of gallows. The image grows in size until the character can clearly make out the image. his realisation of what this means is clearly shown in this quote Gallows! oh mournful and terrible engine of horror and crime of agony and of death. He has realised his fate death. He feels remorse for what he had done to Pluto. He knows that this beast is an image of Pluto. A symbol of god: a brute beast to work out for me-for me, a man fashioned in the image of the high god oh insufferable woe! He believes its is god in disguise of a cat Stoker also uses supernatural elements. Every night the rats come out and make a lot of noise. They run up and down the alarm bell. They all stop suddenly a run away as a giant rat comes down the alarm bell. The rats are scared of this larger rat indicating that this rat is evil. Stokers description of the rat makes it sound evil: It showed its great white teeth and its cruel eyes shone in the lamplight. When Malcolmson throws a book at the creature to try and scare it, but it does not flinch. But when he throws a bible at the rat it scampers away. This indication of good/evil shows that the rat is evil. It is well known that Satanic beings such as this rat fear holy objects such as a bible and a cross. When Malcolmson realises that the rats eyes are identical to the picture of the Judge the figure of the judge disappears. He then turns round and sees the judge. The judge smiled in a cruel way: With his baleful eyes glaring vindictively, and a smile of triumph on his face The judge does not say much in this last scene, I think this is important. Stoker did this so his character was not totally revealed. He remained a mysterious character. The descriptions of horror in The Black cat are very in depth: I grasped the poor beast by its throat and purposely cut out one of its eyes from its socket.. He doesnt linger on this for long. These shock tactics really build up the horror in this story by making you feel horrified and shocked. Another example of this is when he kills his wife: I withdrew my arm from her grasp, and buried the axe in her brain. This again shows the shock tactics used when describing the horror scenes. His violence gets gradually worse. All his violence is triggered by anger or drink: Through the instrumentality of the fiend intemperance had (I blush to confess it)experiences a radical alteration for the worst. I grew day by day more moody, more irritable regardless for the feeling of others. First he verbally abuses his wife, this turns to physical violence towards his wife and animals except Pluto: I suffered myself to use intemperate language towards my wife. At length I even offered her personal violence. My pets of course were made to feel the change in my disposition. I not only neglected, but ill-used them. Then he cut out Plutos eye when he scrammed him on the face. This again is due to him drinking. Poe writes one night, returning home much intoxicated. The guilt of doing this to Pluto and the sadness that it once had loved him got to him and he hung the cat in cold blood: I hung it with tears streaming from my eyes this shows his remorse when hanging him. The guilt of what he had done prevented him from hurting the new cat, until one day when the cat nearly tripped him up in the cellar he grabbed and axe, but his wife prevented him from killing by grabbing the axe. He then split her head open with the axe. The violence gradually gets worse and worse, building up the horror as it goes along. Stoker uses less graphic description, but instead uses reactions of characters to create the fear: not the judges house. This, I think is one of the main advantages of introducing characters into the plot. A disadvantage is that it can take the focus of the main character. They both use pattering to create fear in their stories. In the Judges house the same thing happens every night. He drinks too much tea, then out came the rats making all the noise and finally they all stopped when the large rat emerged. This also happens in the black cat. His violent acts are all triggered by alcohol. Pattering creates suspense, which in turn makes you wonder how does this link with what is happening in the story. The two writers both use logical explanations to try and explain why these things are happening. In the black cat, The character makes up a ludicrous explanation to explain why there was an imprint on the wall. He tries to say that someone must have thrown the cat through the window in an attempt to wake him up. He says that the wall didnt fall down because it had just been plastered and that the ammonia from the carcass has made the imprint on the wall. In The Judges house Malcolmsons explanation for all the events that are happening is that he was drinking too much tea and it was making him delusional. Both of these are deliberately far fetched so that the reader knows that something super natural is going on. Stoker uses a more descriptive style in his writing. He describes the scene, the weather and the people in far more depth than Poe: The carving of the oak on the panels of the wainscot was fine, and on and round the windows and doors it was beautiful and of rare merit. I prefer the descriptive writing of Stoker because it creates an image in your mind. Especially with the weather. Stoker uses the weather to great effect. When the thunder was lashing down toy could tell something bad was going to happen. This effect is used in a lot of horror stories. In my opinion, I prefer Stokers method of creating horror. I think the introduction of characters brings in a new element to the story. It creates an atmosphere of bewilderment and isolation. I say isolation because everyone seemed to know what was going on but Mr Malcolmson. However, as a whole I think I preferred The Black cat by Edgar Allen Poe. I think this is because I am used to modern stories, and this storyline is a bit more advanced and modernised than The Judges House. As I am used to modern horror stories I can relate to this story better. I think that the plot has some realism to it, more so that Stokers story. I dont think Stokers story was linked together very well and it all seemed a bit distant.

My Childhood Memory of My Role Model :: Childhood, Memory, aunts, single mothers,

Since the age of 12, I have struggled to remember what my childhood was like; from time to time I regained a little memory about my life. I was brought up by my grandparents, who worked hard every day to make ends meet for me. However, my life changed on May 25, 1995, when I received a call from Belinda, a friend of the family, saying that my grandparents were in a bad car accident, and that they did not make it out alive. It seemed as though the world around me had come crashing down. Then my aunt Joyce, a mother of three children and a postal worker stepped up as my care giver. She eventually became a person that I looked up to as a great role model in my life. Joyce is a hard worker, generous, and a supporting person who gives good advice. By 13, I was being raised in a second household my aunt Joyce was a single mother of three children. Joyce was a generous person to me; she went out of her way to give me extra attention when no one was there to console me late at night when I had bad dreams about the tragic loss of my grandparents. Even though my aunt had expenses for three children, she still found ways to earn extra money, to give me the experience of attending gymnastics and other activities. In her career as a postal worker, she has a reputation as a hard worker. She progressed from a mail carrier to working inside the Post Office serving the public as a mail clerk. There were times when she had worked long hours on holidays so that she could buy me nice gifts. I must say, Joyce is a team player. She has patience to take the extra time to explain to the new employees how the job operates. In addition, to being a hard worker my aunt is an excellent role model to me. She told me in order to be successful in life you must set goals to accomplish. The one goal I chose to accomplish was finishing high school with a 3.5 grade average. When I had a minor setback my 12th grade year, and got pregnant with my son, my aunt told me never to give up; one setback is not a life lasting ordeal but a hurdle to overcome.

Isu for History

Explanation of why I choose this Topic: I chose this topic simply because of my interest towards evaluating main characters. Both the film Iron Man and the novel A Clockwork Orange, share a similarity in which characters consisted of such acts, attitudes, and behaviors; that were not accepted by others. In this topic, I am able to closely examine the main characters, and to study their personality and their daily lives. My interest focuses on character aspects, and how they developed throughout the story. This is the reason why I chose this topic.What I hope to prove on my essay: In this essay, I am looking into certain character attributes which explains their role as a â€Å"Nonconformist hero â€Å". My goal is to gather as much information about the character, so I am able to come up with 2-3 strong controlling ideas. But, it is also needed to be proven with sufficient proof from both the novel and film. By this, my essay will become stronger within its content. Basically, all information needs to be linked to the main topic – Nonconformist Hero. Outlining major points which will be considered when writing essay:The major points in this essay are going to involve around the main characters from both Iron man and A Clockwork Orange. In the film Iron man, Tony Stark is the main character. Tony Stark consists of every aspect of a Nonconformist hero. He is an individual person, a loner, a dissenter, and a dissident. He is a character that refuses to listen to what others say. Tony Stark does whatever he desires, and does not take others advices. He is a multi millionaire man who runs a company that creates high tech weaponry for the American army.Tony Stark is a brilliant man that creates advanced technology such as; robots, missiles, and others. Despite his intelligence and its positive impact to the country, Tony is careless and self-serving. He consists of a character in which others (society) do not accept. Throughout the film, viewers begin to see his transformation to a hero, but yet still consisted of an ignorant personality. In the novel A Clockwork Orange, Alex is the main character. Such major points will include his gang, and it’s violating behavior.Such aspects include his behavior which is not accepted by others (society). His thoughts and the corrupted society motivate him to commit such crucial acts such as; rape, robbery, and murder. Alex is an example of a Nonconformist character, because he is someone that refuses to act upon expected behavior and thoughts. As the story goes on, it is possible that Alex may begin to encounter obstacles which transform him to a different person towards the end of the story. A paragraph that states the aspects of my essay: In my essay it will consist of 2 controlling ideas.The first controlling idea will be about the character Tony Stark, of the movie Iron man. This point will demonstrate all character aspects of Tony Spark. Clearly illustrating his personality, and explain s how it is linked to a Nonconformist hero. For the second controlling idea, it is going to be about Alex of the novel A Clockwork Orange. Aspects of his acts and his surroundings are going to be explained and proved with sufficient proof. The whole essay is going to be consisted of examples, and explanations of a deep analysis of the characters.

Marketing research RRL

Bin empathy is the term used by service strategist to ensure that kind of mechanical human interaction does not happen that employee who serve customers are responsive ,competent and empathic.. This is not means that they listen to the needs of people but also that they demonstrate empathy. Some though have taken this much further, they think of the numerous. Service are performance and people are the performers. From the customer perspective the people performing the service are the company. An incompetent insurance company .The component of this performance can as in the theatre. Be planned and designed to achieve any desired outcome and maintained over a long period of time. What the supplier see's as a set of operational procedures can be thought of as customers script. Have achieved success by intuitively applying dramatic technique to service business Service script is followed. It is that the quality of service will match the expectations of the buyers and intention of the sup plier so this script needs to be worked out carefully. Communicate the intention of the suppliaer. T seems, then that concept and paradigms do help employees who have to serve customers to demonstrate emotional empathy. A recognized framework put words concepts and engage to demonstrate emotional empathy When trying to plan service improvement, particularly in a large firm, it is possible to break the service often into recognizable components, or features which can be individually improved by doing so, suppliers can understand which aspect of their service is deficient when compared with customers expectation or competitor performance The attribute required by most customers were.Timeliness: the service is provided promptly Empathy; the organization understands the customers need . Assurance: technical correctness of the work Fees: providing value of money Tangibles: providing evidence hat the work is performed correctly Reliability the firm does what it says it will. Understanding lifetime value and customer profitability This important concept changes the perspective on a customer and prompts investment in customer care. Although he didn't give it this name .. The concept of lifetime value of customers suggests that firms know four things about a customer .The total revenue from all work in any given year The costs of service to those customers. Including proposal and prospecting cost The anticipated duration of the relationship of the customers to the firm . The profit in any given year and the total profit. Service Strategy, Like all other strategic issues. Quality of service is important to service is so important to service companies that an explicit service strategy should develop. Dublin 2008- Customers care is an aspect of service Businesses that contributes to growth in revenue and reputation.It has strategic implications for business growth which can. Product and Service Planning Product and service and planning includes activities such as test mar keting product and brand positioning: devising warranties: packaging determining product options, product features, product style, and product laity deleting old products, and providing for customer service. One of the most effective product and service planning techniques is test marketing test markets allow an organization to test alternative marketing plans and to forecast future sales of a new product.The environment and the modern management imperatives Bocce 2008-Paul licker refers to seven modern management imperatives (Licker,1997) Reach- this recognizes that businesses increasingly complete globally rather than locally or within national boundaries Reaction- customers are becoming ever more demanding and customers will make their view known and wish to have them expected Responsiveness- the process of turning an idea into a product or service that can be marketed in shortening- global reach means that there will be a greater problem ability that a competitor will be able to offer a good or service that more closely meets customers requirements.. Refinement-Refinement greater customer sophistication and specificity means that customers are more able than ever to distinguish fine between products and compare them with their needs and desires.. Reconfiguration- as a consequence of changing customers needs and preferences it may be necessary to re-engineer work patterns and organizational trustees change the structure of work and workflow from idea to product service. The Importance of service Quality.Customer care and service quality are important for several reason. Firstly service quality affects the attitudes of buyers toward repurchase. If they have a good experience they are more likely to buy again and if a poor experience. Some recent writers have even suggested customers reaction to service quality induce loyalty to the supplier. Which can be measured and managed. Service Quality and customer Care A Recent History Greasily 2008- Deponents of serv ice quality concept normally that an emphasis n customers care was not necessary before 20th century and only develop as consumerism grew. That is not the case though. For instance, British potter Josiah.It seems that difficulty occurred as distribution chains grew and marketing was functionalities in the mid 20th century. Competitive Strategies Thomson 2008- In findings its competitive edge within these five forces, porter suggests that a company can adopt one three strategies Differentiation The Differentiation strategy involves an attempt to distinguish the firm's product others in the industry. Companies that pursue a differentiation strategy typically need strong arresting abilities, a creative flair and reputation for leadership. In the form of customers loyalty that a new entrant into the market would have difficulty overcoming. Cost leadership. With A cost Leadership strategy, the organization aggressively seeks efficient facilities.Likewise, the low -cost producer is protec ted from powerful customers and supplier, because customers cannot find lower prices where the other buyer would have less slack for price negotiation with supplier. One on one Marketing Ford 2009- One on One marketing, as the name implies individual product with individual customers. This way of dealing with customers takes differentiated or niche marketing to the extreme. Successful one on one marketing requires detailed knowledge of customers Production Versus marketing Orientation The production and marketing orientation are complementary ways to look at business. Transactional View One view of exchange is the teach and every interaction with his a unique and independent event. Transactional Selling can be more adversarial cooperative.Price become a key consideration -neither the sales person nor customers is looking for much beyond the immediate transaction. Relational Selling Attracting new customers costs significantly more than reselling to current customer. Customer Loyalty Loyal customers are like money in the bank because their purchases provide revenue into the future customers loyalty is a function of two components. The second components of customers loyalty is intangible and based on emotion. Customers commitment is the bond between a customers and a sales firm that builds. Up overtime as a customer continues to have rewarding sales exchanges with a supplier Computing the Value off Customer.CRM implies that firm should mange different customer differently. While infrequent flyers may not see things the same way. The special treatment is worthwhile because platinum flyers provide a disproportionate amount of revenue based on their frequent flying behavior based on their frequent flying behavior. The sales and managing customers . Marketing strategy is one way firms go about creating value. Value is the individual's selective perception of the worth of some activity, object or idea. With C. R. M the salesperson does more than Just create sales. Ga ther important data about the customers and the market. Identify the types of data needed to give the customers better service

IRONWEED THEME essays

IRONWEED THEME essays After reading Ironweed by William Kennedy, I have determined the theme of this book to be about the importance of a close and trustworthy friendship. I believe the theme to be this because of the shared dependence on the interaction between Francis and Helen. As Francis and Helen were struggling together, Francis would often provide Helen with a place to sleep for a night or two. Although Helen could have found her own means of survival from time to time, the help she gained from Francis was ideal to surviving the cold nights. The connections that Francis has gained over the years with Inn owners, bartenders, mission leaders, ect., allows them many options for help to find means of survival from day to day. Francis is also dependant on the friends that he has gained. Although he would never allow himself to admit it, he enjoyed the company of others and the distraction they provided from reality. Francis was often haunted by ghosts from his past, including those that he had ki lled and lost years ago. The company of others provided him with something else to occupy his time besides the thoughts and visions of those ghosts. This book stresses the importance of friendship in a before-and-after type of example. Before Francis met Helen, his life was very undetermined; he had nothing. However, after meeting Helen, his life, in turn, gains more structure and purpose. He is not simply wandering through his days; but trying to prosper for the sake of their survival. He cared for Helen; this gave him motivation to get work to earn money to provide for the two of them. He had found a true friend; not one that he gained in hopes of receiving something back, a true friend, and his life became better. Ironweed was written around the theme that a close and trustworthy friendship is very important in having a happy, purposeful life. ...

Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II

Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought May 4-8, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) as the Allies sought to halt the Japanese capture of New Guinea. During the opening months of World War in the Pacific, the Japanese won a string of stunning victories which saw them capture Singapore, defeat an Allied fleet in the Java Sea, and force American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula to surrender. Pushing south through the Dutch East Indies, the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff had initially desired to mount an invasion of northern Australia to prevent that country from being used as base. This plan was vetoed by the Imperial Japanese Army which lacked the manpower and shipping capability to sustain such an operation. To secure the Japanese southern flank, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, commander of the Fourth Fleet, advocated for taking all of New Guinea and occupying the Solomon Islands. This would eliminate the last Allied base between Japan and Australia as well as would provide a security perimeter around Japans recent conquests in the Dutch East Indies. This plan was approved as it would also bring northern Australia within range of Japanese bombers and would offer jumping off points for operations against Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia. The fall of these islands would effectively sever Australias lines of communication with the United States. Japanese Plans Dubbed Operation Mo, the Japanese plan called for three Japanese fleets sortie from Rabaul in April 1942. The first, led by Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, was tasked with taking Tulagi in the Solomons and establishing a seaplane base on the island. The next, commanded by Rear Admiral Koso Abe, consisted of the invasion force that would strike the main Allied base on New Guinea, Port Moresby. These invasion forces were screened by Vice Admiral Takeo Takagis covering force centered around the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku and the light carrier Shoho. Arriving at Tulagi on May 3, Japanese forces quickly occupied the island and set up a seaplane base. Allied Response Throughout the spring of 1942, the Allies remained informed about Operation Mo and Japanese intentions through radio intercepts. This largely occurred as a result of American cryptographers breaking the Japanese JN-25B code. Analysis of the Japanese messages led the Allied leadership to conclude that a major Japanese offensive would occur in the Southwest Pacific during the early weeks of May and that Port Moresby was the likely target. Responding to this threat, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, ordered all four of his carrier groups to the area. These included Task Forces 17 and 11, centered on the carriers USS Yorktown  (CV-5)  and USS Lexington  (CV-2) respectively, which were already in the South Pacific. Vice Admiral William F. Halseys Task Force 16, with the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8), which had just returned to Pearl Harbor from the Doolittle Raid, was also ordered south but would not arrive in time for the battle. Fleets Commanders Allies Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher2 carriers, 9 cruisers, 13 destroyers Japanese Vice Admiral Takeo TakagiVice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue2 carriers, 1 light carrier, 9 cruisers, 15 destroyers Fighting Begins Led by Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher, Yorktown and TF17 raced to the area and launched three strikes against Tulagi on May 4, 1942. Hitting the island hard, they badly damaged the seaplane base and eliminated its reconnaissance capabilities for the coming battle. In addition, Yorktowns aircraft sank a destroyer and five merchant ships. Steaming south, Yorktown joined Lexington later that day. Two days later, land-based B-17s from Australia spotted and attacked the Port Moresby invasion fleet. Bombing from high-altitude, they failed to score any hits. Throughout the day both carrier groups searched for each other with no luck as cloudy skies limited visibility. With night setting in, Fletcher made the difficult decision to detach his main surface force of three cruisers and their escorts. Designated Task Force 44, under the command of Rear Admiral John Crace, Fletcher ordered them to block the probable course of the Port Moresby invasion fleet. Sailing without air cover, Craces ships would be vulnerable to Japanese air strikes. The next day, both carrier groups resumed their searches. Scratch One Flattop While neither found the others main body, they did locate secondary units. This saw Japanese aircraft attack  and sink the destroyer USS Sims as well as cripple the oiler USS Neosho. American aircraft were luckier as they located Shoho.   Caught with most of its aircraft group below decks, the carrier was lightly defended against the combined air groups of the two American carriers. Led by Commander William B. Ault,  Lexingtons aircraft opened the attack shortly after 11:00 AM and scored hits with two bombs and five torpedoes. Burning and nearly stationary,  Shoho  was finished off by  Yorktowns aircraft. The sinking of Shoho led Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Dixon of Lexington  to radio the famous phrase  scratch one flattop.   On May 8, scout planes from each fleet found the enemy around 8:20 AM. As a result, strikes were launched by both sides between 9:15 AM and 9:25 AM. Arriving over Takagis force,  Yorktowns aircraft, led by Lieutenant Commander William O. Burch,  began attacking Shokaku  at 10:57 AM. Hidden in a nearby squall,  Zuikaku  escaped their attention. Hitting Shokaku  with two 1,000 lb. bombs, Burchs men caused severe damage before departing. Reaching the area at 11:30 AM,  Lexingtons planes landed another bomb hit on the crippled carrier. Unable to conduct combat operations, Captain  Takatsugu Jojima  received permission to withdraw his ship from the area.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Japanese Strike Back While the US pilots were having success, Japanese aircraft were approaching the American carriers.   These were detected by  Lexingtons CXAM-1 radar and F4F Wildcat fighters were directed to intercept.   While some of the enemy aircraft were downed, several commenced runs  on  Yorktown  and  Lexington shortly after 11:00 AM.   Japanese torpedo attacks on the former failed, while the latter sustained two hits by Type 91 torpedoes.   These assaults were followed by dive bombing attacks which scored a hit on  Yorktown  and two on  Lexington.  Damage crews raced to save Lexington and succeeded in restoring the the carrier to operational condition.    As these efforts were concluding, sparks from an electric motor ignited a fire which led to a series of fuel-related explosions. In a short time, the resulting fires became uncontrollable. With the crew unable to extinguish the flames, Captain Frederick C. Sherman ordered Lexington  abandoned. After the crew was evacuated, the destroyer USS  Phelps  fired five torpedoes into the burning carrier to prevent its capture. Blocked in their advance and with Craces force in place, the overall Japanese commander, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, ordered the invasion force to return to port. Aftermath A strategic victory, the Battle of the Coral Sea cost Fletcher the carrier Lexington, as well as the destroyer Sims and the oiler Neosho. Total killed for the Allied forces was 543. For the Japanese, the battle losses included Shoho, one destroyer, and 1,074 killed. In addition, Shokaku was badly damaged and Zuikakus air group greatly reduced. As a result, both would miss the Battle of Midway in early June. While Yorktown was damaged, it was quickly repaired at Pearl Harbor and raced back to sea to aid defeating the Japanese.